Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-05-11

this interesting woman moving about the
place in her silent, resolute kind of way.
Bessie was, no doubt, delightful and charm
ing to look on, but she had not got her SIS
ter's brains and originality; and John Mel
was sufficiently above the ordinary run to thor
oughly appreciate intellect and originality in q
woman, instead Of standing aghast at it. She
interested him intensely, to say the least of it,
and, manlike, he felt exceedingly put out,
and even sulky, at the idea Of her departure.
He looked at her in remonstrance, and even,
in awkwardness begotten of his irritation,
knocked down The vinegar cruet and made a
mess upon the table; but she evaded his eyes
and took no notice of the vinegar. Then,
feeling that he had done all that i'll him lay,
he went to see about the ostriches: first of all,
hanging about little to see if jess would
come out, which she did not. Indeed, he saw
nothing more Of her till supper time. Bessie
told him that she said she was busy packing;
but, as one can only take twenty pounds
weight of luggage III post cart. this did not
quito convince him that it was so in fact
At supper she was, if possible, even more
quiet than she had been at dinner. After IL
was over he asked her to sing, but she de-
Sclined, saying that she had given up singing
for the present, and peIsisting in her state
ment in spite of the chorus of remonstrance 1t
aroused The birds only sing while they are
mating; and it is, by the way, curious
thing, and suggestive of the theory that the
same great principles pervade all nature, that
Jess, now that her trouble had overtaken ler,
and that she had lost her love which had sud-
denly sprung from her heart-full grown and
clad in power as Athena sprung from the
head of Jove-had no further inclination to
use her divine gift of song. Itprobably was
nothing more than a coincidence, but 1t was
curious one.
The arrangement was that OIL the morrow
jess was to be driven in the Cape cart to
Martinus- Wesselstroom, more commonly
called Wakkerstroom, and there catch the
post cart which was timed to leave the town
at midday, though when it would leave was
quite another matter Post carts are not par
ticular to day or so in the Transvaal.
Old Silas Croft was going to drive her with
Bessie, who had some shopping to do III Wax
kerstroom, as ladies sometimes have; but ut
the last moment the old man got premoni-
tory twinge Of the rheumatism, to which he
was martyr, and could not 60, so, OF course,
John volunteered, and, though Jess raised
some difficulties, Bessie furthered the idea,
and in the end his offer was accepted.
Accordingly ut $50 OH beautiful morning
up came the tented cart, with its two massive
wheels, stout stinkwood disselboom, and four
spirited young horses; to the head OF which
the Hottentot Jantje, assisted by the Zulu
Mouti, clad in the sweet simplicity OF
moocha, few feathers in his wool, and a
horn snuff box stuck through the 1eshy part
of the ear, hung grimly on In they got
John first, then Bessie next to him, then Jess.
Next Jantje scrambled up behind; and after
some preliminary backing and plunging. and
showing disposition to twine themselves
afectionately round the orange trees, of
went the horses at hand gallop, md away
swung the cart after them, in a fashion that
would have frightened anybody not accus-
toned to that mode Of progression pretty well
out OF his wits As it was John had as much
as ne could do to keep the four horses together
and to prevent them from boiling, and this
alone, to say nothing Of the rattling and
jolting of the vehicle over the uneven track
was sufficient to put stop to any attempt at
conversation.
Wakkerstroom was about eighteen miles
from Mooifontein, distance that they
covered well within the two hours. Here the
horses were outspanned ct the hotel, aud John
went into the house whence the post cart was
to start and booked Jesi seat, aud then joined
the ladies at the "Kan oor," or store where
they were shopping. After the shopping was
done they went back to the inn together and
had some dinner; by which time the Hotten-
tot driver of the cart began to tune up Justify,
but unmelodiously, on bugle to inform i'll
tending passengers that it was time to start.
Bessie was out Of the room at the moment,
and, with the exception OF a peculiarly dirty
looking coolie waiter, there was nobody
about.
"How long are you going to be away, Miss
Jess" asked John.
1.-TWO months, more or less, Capt. Mel"
Il am very sorry that you are going," lie
said, earnestly. "It will be very dull at the
farm without YOU"
"There will be Bessie for you to talk to, v
she answered, turning her face to the win
dow and affecting to watch the inspanning
of the post cart in the yard on which it
looked.
Capt. Mel" she said, suddenly.
"Yes?"
"Mind you look after Bessie while I am
away. Listen! am going to tell you some
thing You know Frank Muller!'
"Yes, know him, and very disagreeable
fellow he is"
"Well, he threatened Bessie the other day,
and he is man who is quite capable Of car
rying out threat. I can't tell you anything
more about it, but want you to promise me
to protect Bessie if any occasion for it should
arise I do not know that it will, but it
might. Will you promise"
"Of course will; would do great deal
more than that if you asked me to, jess, he
answered, tenderly, for now that she was 60
ing away he felt curiously drawn toward her,
and was anxious to show it.
"Never mind me-" she said, with all inipa-
tient little movement Bessie is sweet enough
and lovely enough to be looked after for her
own sake, should think"
Before he could say any more i'll cume Bes-
sic herself, saying that the driver was wait.
ing, and they went out to see her sister or.
"Don't forget your PROMISE" jess wills
ptlSu W lllIl, DcHullS Oo"l uo Ac HcIptu uel
into the cart, SO low that her lips almost
touched him and her breath rested for a sec
ond on his cheek like the ghost of kiss.
In another moment the sisters had chi
braced each other, tenderly enough; the
driver had sounded once more OH his awful
busle, and away went the cart ut full galiop,
bearing with it Jess, two other passengers
and her majesty's mails John and Bessie
stood for moment watching its mad career,
as it went spashing and banging down the
struggling street toward the wide plains be-
yond, and then turned to enter the inn again
and prepare for their homeward drive. As
they did so, all old Boer, named Hans CoctZee.
with whom John was already slightly ac-
quainted, came up, and, extending an enor-
mously big and thick hand, bid them "Gooden
daag." Hans Coetzee was u very favorable
specimen of the better sort of Boer, and
really came more or less up to the ideal pict-
ure that is so often drawn Of that simple
pastoral people," He was very large, stout
man, with fine open face and IL pair of
kindly eyes. John, looking at him, guessed
that he could not weigh less than seventeen
stone, and he was well within the mark ut
that.
TITO BE CONTINUED.